Pushbutton type safety seat belt buckle



Feb. 4, 1969 l E. M. MELIN 3,425,103

PUSHBUTTON TYPE SAFETY SEAT BELT BUCKLE Filed April 1l. 1966 l AW /3 F60424/30 '2 so il I Jo /e 11, 43 44 E /9 p 19 Il! hl 2, ,f 72 221 mv.:Ji-n. 0...*Illllllilllllllll 4 2.5 INVENTOR fb WARD M M5L/N Blf/gjm@ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,425,103 PUSHBUTTON TYPE SAFETY SEATBELT BUCKLE Edward Milton Melin, Lexington, Ky., assignor to Irving AirChute Company, Inc., Lexington, Ky., a corporation of New York FiledApr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,611 U.S. Cl. 24-230 Int. Cl. B25b 1/ 08,5/08 4 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates toimprovements in safety belt buckles.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a low cost buckle forsafety belts having a minimum number of parts and of such constructionthat the buckle cannot be accidentally released or falsely latched.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a safety beltbuckle of the pushbutton type in which the operating mechanism isprotected against accidental actuation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming a portion of this specificationand in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the buckle and itsparts showing the latching dog in belt locking position.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing the latchingdog in belt releasing position.

FIG. 3 is an inverted perspective fragmentary View of the casing coverof the buckle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the casing shell showing its associatedparts including the latching dog and locking tongue.

FIG. 5 is a plan -view of the buckle showing the locking tongue infragmentary view.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the buckle cover and dog actuatingspring, taken substantially on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter A may generally designate the buckle assembly. It includes acasing B, latching dog C, belt D, locking tongue F. and belt adjustingconnection F.

Casing B and other parts of the buckle are preferably metal or plastic,suitable to function as hereinafter explained. Casing B includes a shellportion 10f and cover 11. Shell 10 preferably comprises a bottom wall 12and upstanding parallel right angle side walls 13 and 14. Cover 11 ispreferably detachable and includes a top wall 15, a depending front wall16, depending side walls 17 and 18 and rear spaced depending rear walls19 and 20 defining a thumbor linger inserting opening 21 which extendspartially along the top wall 15. This opening 21 exposes ICC thepushbutton for belt latching release. Cover 11 may be detachablyconnected to side walls 13 and 14 in any approved manner. In thespecific example shown, front wall 16 of cover 11 is inturned at 22 (seeFIGS. l and 2) to releasably lit in sockets 23 in the front ends of sidewalls 13 and 14. At the rear, cover depending walls 19 and 20 may beinturned at 25 for releasably lifting in sockets 26 at the rear ends ofthe shell side walls 13 and 14. It will be understood that the cover hassome degree of springiness which enables the extensions 22 and 25 toreleasably lit in their respective sockets.

Casing B, at the rear end thereof between base wall 12 and inturned wallportions 19 and 20, is spaced to provide a passageway 27 (see FIG. 2)adapted to receive the locking tongue E of belt D.

Latching d-og C, shown in perspective in FIG. 4, preferably includes anelongated body 30 provided at the ends thereof with axle or pivotextensions 31 which are mounted for pivotal action in sockets 32provided in upstanding walls 13 and 14 of casing B. Body 30 includes arearwardly extending elongated body portion 34 which is positioned foroperative abutment with the member of the buckle in pivoting of latchingdog C, as will be subsequently described. Pivotal action of latching dogC is located on an axis spaced above the base wall 12 of the casingstructure, as will 'be noted from the dotted line 31 (See FIGS. 1 and2). It will be noted from FIG. 4 that latching dog C is provided with athickened depending liange latching 33 at the forward end thereofadapted to cooperate with locking tongue E in a manner to besubsequently described.

Locking tongue E is of the usual structure comprising a liat piece ofmetal attached to one end 35 of the belt D. It is provided with a dogreceiving opening 37. Locking tongue E is adapted to be slipped intoopening 27 when applying the belt. The spring assembly biases latchingdog C so that its flange 33 will assume the position shown in FIG. 1 anddrop into opening 37 of locking tongue E.

Locking tongue E has a limited insertion into casing B, since it willengage a hook-shaped abutment 40, shown in FIGS. l and 2.

The spring assembly of the latching dog setup comprises a compoundspring including an intermediate portion 41 secured by a rivet 42 to theinside surface of the top wall 15 of cover 11 -of casing B. The firstspring portion 43 is forwardly and downwardly and then rearwardly curvedas shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and its free end is socketed at 44 in a recess46 provided in the upper surface of latching dog body 30. This portion43 of the spring is biased to normally urge latching end 33 of dog Cdownwardly to the position shown in FIG. l and thus enable lockingtongue E to be secured by latching dog C upon insertion into casing B.The spring is preferably of one piece construction and includes a secondrearwardly extending spring portion 50 which is located |beneath wall 15and laterally across linger inserting opening 21 of top wall 15 of cover11. As shown in FIGS. l, 5 and 6, spring portion 50` extends entirelybeneath linger inserting opening 21 and comprises the pushb-utton memberof the buckle which is exposed for linger contact. In the position shownin FIG. 1, spring portion 43 urges latching dog C into locking positionwith locking tongue E and front llange extension portion 30` of dog Clies immediately beneath and close to or in contact with spring portion50.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that with locking tongue Elatched by dog C in the position shown in FIG. l, the same can bereleased by inserting a linger in opening 21 and flexing spring portion50` to the position shown in FIG. 2. This will rock latching dog C tothe position shown in FIG. 2 and enable a release of locking tongue E.

Patented Feb. 4, 1969 Belt adjusting connection F preferably includes atransverse preferably knurled strap bar 60, the flattened end portions61 thereof being of well known construction and mounted for sliding inthe inclined openings 63 normally provided in the upstanding walls 13and 14 of casing shell 10. Belt D includes a loop portion 70 whichnormally extends through an opening 71 provided in bottom wall 12 ofcasing =B and is wrapped around the knurled bar 60. End 72 of belt D isthe one normally forced against the edge of opening 71 in order tomaintain proper adjustment of the belt.

The opening 21 is shown as arcuate at its front end but, it may bepolygonal and wider if desired to enable insertion of several fingers ofthe operators hand.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very simple type ofpushbutton buckle has been provided which is extremely safe inapplication and operation and in which the tang or locking tongue cannotbe falsely unlatched.

The top wall 15 is thickened or raised around the finger insertingopening 2.1. Thus the pushbutton spring is countersunk in a safetyposition against liability of accidental depression. The rear slope ofthe pushbutton end 50 enables a facile release operation of the dog.

Various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be madeto the form of invention shown and described Without departing from thespirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety belt buckle, a casing structure having a chamber thereinprovided with a belt tongue entrance passageway thereto, a tonguelatching dog mova'bly mounted upon said casing within said chamber, afirst spring means mounted in said chamber normally urging said dog intotongue latching position, and an inherently resilient pushbutton springmeans having a part iixedly mounted upon the casing and including apushbutton portion engageable with said dog, which under manual flexingwill move the latching dog to an unlatched position with respect to saidpassageway against the biasing action of said first spring means, thesaid casing having an opening therein exposing the flexible pushbuttonportion for manual actuation thereof.

2. In a safety belt buckle a casing structure having a chamber thereinand a belt tongue entrance passageway thereto, a latching dog pivotallymounted intermediate its ends upon said casing within the chamber, afirst spring means mounted upon the casing normally urging the latchingdog at one end into tongue latching position, a second pushbutton typeflexible spring means having a part fixedly mounted on the casing, saidcasing including a pushbutton portion engageable with said dog, havingan opening therein for insertion of a finger to directly flex saidpushbutton portion and rock the dog for moving it out of latchingposition.

3. In a safety belt buckle a casing strutcure having a base, upstandingsides and a cover to provide a chamber therein having a belt tongueentrance passageway, said casing having a finger inserting openingtherein, a latching dog pivotally mounted upon said casing and disposedwithin said chamber, a first spring means mounted upon the casing insaid chamber normally moving one end of said latching dog into latchingposition with respect to a belt tongue inserted into said passageway, aninherently flexible spring -biased pushbutton having a part fixedlymounted on said casing in said chamber, normally biased to extenddirectly across said opening whereby upon depression by a fingerinserted in the opening the spring will rock the dog to enable releaseof the belt back tongue.

4. The buckle described in claim 3 in which the latching dog is pivotedupon said casing having a forward latching end and a rear operating endat the opposite side of the pivot from the latching end, the springwhich moves said latching dog into latching position engaging the end ofsaid latching dog forwardly of its pivot and said push- |buttoncomprising a flexible spring normally exposed in the opening of saidcasing in proximity to the rear end of said latching dog for the purposeof actuating said latching dog, said last mentioned spring beingnormally biased to move away from said latching dog.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,091,010 5/1963 Davis 24-2303,136,529 6/ 1964 Dickinson 24-230 3,203,064 8/ 1965 Murphy 24-2303,355,781 12/ 1967 Silberschlag.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

